The Spirit Within
by Lady Karina
Summary: Ron Weasley has been hiding a dark secret he never knew he had and until his 15th birthday, he will have wished he had never gone to Hogwarts.
1. Prologue

The Spirit Within Prologue  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Never have. Never will.  
  
A/N This is my second fanfic and constructive criticism is always wanted! Yes, this will be longer then my To the Moon fic but this is only the prologue.  
  
Five-year-old, redheaded, freckled-faced Ron Weasley stood outside of Hogwart's grounds holding his mother's hand. His round blue eyes were locked on the castle taking in its fascinating design and colors. He was so mesmerized by its appearance he loosened his grip on his mother's hand and shyly stepped forward towards the castles massive door.  
  
His mother spoke softly, "See that Ronny? That's where you'll be going to school someday!"  
  
Little Ron smiled happily and turned to face his mother. "Fred, George, and Ginny too?" he questioned.  
  
"Of coarse dear you'll all be going there soon." His mother smiled happily as little Ron ran back up to her and took her hand.  
  
"Let's go inside!" Ron said excitedly.  
  
And so the two walked inside Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Mrs. Weasley along the way pointed out various objects that would be of interest to a young boy. These included the changing staircases, the enchanted armor, and various ghosts that resided there over the holidays.  
  
"Mommy what's up there?" Ron asked pointing dead ahead to the 3rd floor corridor.  
  
"Oh nothings up there sweetie come along now," she pressed and continued walking along.  
  
"Now here's something you might like," she continued But Ron payed no attention to her words and began ascending the stairs towards the 3rd floor corridor.  
  
As young Ron drew nearer he noticed a light shining, glimmering if you may, underneath the second door to the right. It seemed so inviting to the young child that he drew nearer and nearer. Hoping to touch a piece of the light, he hesitantly opened the door ignoring the restricted signs and warnings. What good were they to a five-year-old anyway?  
  
He tentatively stepped inside peering around in the darkness for the glowing object. He groped around aimlessly for a while wondering how the light once so bright had disappeared so quickly until he stumbled upon the vigorous glow of what appeared to be a small illuminating crystal.  
  
Ron smiled happily as he picked up the beautiful object. He observed it silently for a while until something peculiar happened. Ron momentarily yelped with pain as the small objected cut deep into the center of his palm. The object stopped giving off it's light as well. Ron freely let tears roll down his face. Not only had he cut himself but also the shinny object had lost its glowing beauty. He released the beautiful crystal and let it fall to the floor.  
  
The thump, thump, thump of his mother's footsteps running up the stairs echoed through the corridor.  
  
"There you are!" She gasped. "Ronald Weasley, don't even sneak off like that again! It was a treat that I would take you to visit Hogwarts you shouldn't go." but at the moment Mrs. Weasley spotted Ron's blood stained hand and tears rolling down her child's face.  
  
"Oh dear me what a mess." She swooped down and held out his hand and whispered a simple healing charm with her wand while the cut mended itself together. Ron furiously wiped his tears away and hugged his mother.  
  
"Oh how can I stay mad at you?" she questioned aloud while ruffling her son's hair.  
  
"Come along then," she beckoned. "I told your father we would be home by supper."  
  
With that they promptly left the castle  
  
The small crystal that once bared the captivating light was no more. It had shattered into a million pieces once Ron had released it from his grip. Yet faintly in the eyes of one Ronald Weasley was a piercing gaze of not the innocent light the young boy had adored, but of a threatening flash that had left as quickly as it was seen.  
  
~*~*~*~ Well there was the prologue to the story of Ron Weasley entitled "The Spirit Within". The next chapter will probably take place during Ron's 5th year at Hogwarts. Oh, and reviews also bring inspiration for the next chapter! -Lady Karina 


	2. Break Me

The Spirit Within  
  
Disclaimer: Potter is Rowling's.  
  
A/N Well, here goes nothing...enjoy!  
  
"Break me, shake me, hate me, take me over." -Savage Garden  
  
Ron grinned as the Hogwarts express took off leaving a trail of whispy smoke behind. After waving joyously with Harry and Hermione out the Window towards his parents (who had kindly offered to take Harry and Hermione to Platform 9 ¾ as well) they idly walked down the train's isle chatting and laughing about their summer. And, until the conversation drew to Hermione's stay with Krum, did the laughter die down as Ron's mood changed from pleasant to sour.  
  
"You actually took him up on his offer!?" Ron asked with furey as his eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Well," Hermione started but Ron cut her off.  
  
"Just can't get enough of Vicky can you? Been frolicking up in the mountains with him then?" Ron sneered.  
  
"I have not! Honestly Ron, just because you didn't get a chance to take me to the Yule ball doesn't mean you have to take it out on Victor!" Ron's face flushed but he continued as if he hadn't heard her.  
  
"The only reason you even hang out with him is because he's famous, for all we know you could have been." But this time Harry was the one who cut Ron off.  
  
"Er-guys? I found a compartment."  
  
It was just then Ron and Hermione noticed that they had been screaming at each other in the train isle for the past few minutes and a few heads had poked out of other compartments to see what the fuss was about. "Sorry," They both said and nervously walked into their compartments and sat down.  
  
They sat quietly for a while. Harry's silent snickers were causing both Ron and Hermione to glare mercilessly at him. Harry, catching Hermione's eye, abruptly stopped and started nervously fidgeting with a lose string on his shirt.  
  
Ron decided it was time to speak up. "Hey guys did you hear? Dad got a promotion!" This immediently broke the remaining tension between the two.  
  
"Really? Oh Ron that's wonderful!" said Hermione.  
  
"Yeah, and dad reckons that he might have enough gold to buy me a decent broom for my birthday this year." Ron grinned at that.  
  
Just at that moment the Witch with the food cart into their car.  
  
"This calls for a celebration, Butterbeers all around!" declared Harry.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Laughter and chattering rang throughout Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they began their welcome back feast. However, this was probably caused by Neville's toad running a muck at the Slytherin table when he was discovered sitting on Draco Malfoy's platter. But still, there was no better way for Hogwarts to start then to have Malfoy scared out of his wits by finding a frog in his mashed potatos.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione had seated themselves at the Gryphindoor table and had happily started pilling their own plates when something very odd happened.  
  
Ron had began perspiring, clutching his stomach as a dreadful pulsing sensation spread through him. He clutched his eyes tight shut until he felt the sensation pass and then snapped them open again only to reveal a faint light protruding from then.  
  
"Ron?" Hermione had gotten up, "Ron are you ok? Are you feeling ill?"  
  
Ron promptly blinked and the light had stopped shinning.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, must have had a bad butterbeer or something." Ron said this rather quickly. And directed his attention towards his plate but did not make any gesture as to fill it. Hermione eyed him suspiciously but had left it at that.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The rest of the night had gone on smoothly enough. After dinner Harry, Ron, and Hermione had trudged their way up to the Gryphindoor common room. Harry had convinced Hermione to play a game of Exploding snap but Ron seemed inconvincible and had retreated up to the 5th years boy dormitories with the excuse that he was tired and needed a good nights sleep. This however did not convince Harry and Hermione as to Ron was usually the one begging them to stay up for, "Just one more." game of chess.  
  
"What do you think is up with him?" Harry asked Hermione the next day during divination class.  
  
"I really don't know. Did you happen to notice last night he didn't eat a thing?"  
  
It seemed as though Ron had overslept and was already twenty minutes late for divination class. True Ron could be lazy but surly twenty minutes? That was beneath a Weasley with the exception of rampaging in with some extravagant excuse that they had set the school on fire or the world would explode in a matter of minutes. Although Fred and George took this approach quite often it was a very un-ronish way to enter and so Harry and Hermione had ruled out that one.  
  
"And so you all notice that when transfiguring the common garden snake into wood the edges near the top have markings." Professor Mcgonagle spoke clearly, spotting out the curved indentations that were of the snake's eyes. "But then again the scales are less.."  
  
There was a loud bang as Ron burst in on the lesson heaving open the door and leaving it ajar, panting and completely winded.  
  
"I'm really sorry professor I overslept." Ron spoke very hurriedly taking deep breaths in-between sentences, "It won't happen again I just."  
  
"Mr. Weasley!" Barked Professor Mcgonagle, "It is all well and good that you have decided to join my class but please next time don't cause such a ruckus! Now kindly take you seat."  
  
Ron's awfully pale face for someone who had overslept had turned slightly pink as he took a seat in the back of the class as to not look at anyone.  
  
Harry and Hermione had turned around in their seats to wave to him but Ron had buried his face in 'The Beginners guide to transfiguration level 5'.  
  
Harry and Hermione exchanged nervous glances before occupying themselves again with their daily lesson.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Whoo! Glad that's done. I just wanted to launch into something more dramatic but I kept on having to stop myself. Sorry if it did seem a little boring, it will get better! I think I might be adding angst to it as well, anyway, do let me know what you think! -Lady Karina 


	3. Inside your Eyes

The Spirit Within  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, do I make myself clear?  
  
A/N Here comes chapter 3 of the mayhem!  
  
"Hide behind a mask of lies. I see the truth inside your eyes." -Savage Garden  
  
Ron had become very accustomed to fainting spells these days and unbearable pains behind his eyes and yet every time he had one he claimed to not remember. These surprised Harry and Hermione greatly and were now pestering him constantly to see Madame Pomfry. Yet he waved them off and still managed to make excuses for these things and continued as though nothing was wrong.  
  
"Potions, why potions?" sighed Harry. It seemed that the trio's last class of the day was potions and none of them were in the mood to put up with Snape. However, they reluctantly kept on walking towards Snape's classroom anyhow.  
  
"Ah, buck up Harry." Ron said, "It is Friday after all. We could visit Hagrid afterward if you like." Ron seemed a bit perkier today though still quite pale. Harry smiled at his best friend's enthusiasm towards his least favorite subject.  
  
They neared the classroom and Hermione opened the door. They casually stepped inside only to be met with a site that made Ron recoil and step behind Harry. Spiders. In the front of the classroom Snape stood beside a cauldron that contained over hundreds of spiders at the least.  
  
"I really don't like this," said Ron.  
  
"Come on, well get a seat in the back," Hermione said tugging at Ron's sleeve.  
  
Ron nervously followed Hermione through the class and avoiding looking at the spiders in the cauldron. Harry followed shortly behind. The trio took a seat in the far back of the class and began waiting for Snape's instructions.  
  
"Today, we will be learning to brew a Willowet potion," Snape declared. "It is highly complex and I don't doubt if some of you manage to poison your fellow classmates by dropping just a mere smidgen on them." He added with a malevolent gleam in is eye, "The instructions have been written on the board and Miss Granger," His eyes turned airily towards Hermione, "you are not to be helping Mr. Longbottom unless instructed." Hermione curtly nodded. "Very well, now get to work!" he barked.  
  
And so the Gryffindoors jumped in their seat and ran to get their ingredients. Hermione had volunteered to get their ingredients as to Ron was edging his chair away from the spiders every few minutes and Harry kept eyeing Snape who was now seated at his desk holding something glimmering that had caught his eye.  
  
Hermione returned shortly with the ingredients and began smashing the spiders with her pestle. Ron took the shriveling and pasted it to Harry to skin. However Harry didn't take it. Ron prodded Harry in the back.  
  
"What're you looking at?" Ron inquired.  
  
"Snape. Look, whats he got in his hand?" Harry answered. Ron's gaze shifted to the small glimmering object in Snape's outstretched palm, before Snape quickly grasped the object shoving it roughly in his desk. A faint red light protruded from it through the cabinet door but Snape quickly covered it up with his spare cloak and continued eyeing the students.  
  
Harry took the shrivling from Ron and began skinning it. Ron however was still watching the red light shine through Snape's cloak. Ron jogged his memory, where had he seen this before? Ron's daydream didn't last long though as Hermione nudged him, "Stir this, will you?" she handed him a large basin filled with their ingredients. Ron gingerly took it and stirred it but his curiosity was not on their potion's assignment but on the faint red light under Snape's cloak. He slowly watched it flicker, flicker, and then die out.  
  
Ron's vision faded, the world was growing darker, specks of multicolored stardust danced in front of his eyes and he saw no more. Hermione gasped, "Ron! Ron, are you ok? Can you hear me? Ron, oh no!" Hermione's tears edged down her beautiful face as she took hold of Ron's hand and rubbed it, "Ron come on wake up."  
  
The class had now turned to look at the sight of Hermione crying and Ron's unconscious body. Snape strode over and bent down near Ron's face, "Ennervate," He whispered. Ron's eyes snapped open again dimly lit with a faint silver-green lining.  
  
"What?" Ron shot up from the floor. Hermione's tears had stopped cascading downward as she watched Ron worriedly.  
  
Ron blinked a couple of times before turning towards Hermione and, realizing where he was, softly spoke, "Sorry, I, er, well."  
  
Harry interrupted him smiling slightly, "Well now I can say I'm not the only one who fainted during class." Ron smiled sheepishly and shakily stood up.  
  
Hermione grabbed his arm to steady him, "Are you ok?" she asked. Ron glared nastily at her his eyes slightly greener then usual.  
  
"Of coarse I'm ok! I don't need your help." He spat and tugged his arm back. Hermione's teary eyes turned to fire.  
  
"Well fine then see if I ever help you again!" She sneered and sat back down again.  
  
"Weasley!" Snape said, "To the infirmary, I don't need any more fainting students to teach in this class. Potter, escort him as I should hope you know the way by now." He began muttering about 'Potter's ruddy scar aches' and trudged back to his desk.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Another chapter down! I do hope this is not growing too dull for you readers. I do have planned what will be on store for poor Ronny but that is for another chapter. I'm am afraid what I have been trying to make drama/angst has been turning a bit humorous. Ah, well, lets just see what happens. If I shall write it thou must review! -Lady Karina 


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